1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device and a method for controlling the imaging device. In particular, the invention relates to a process of replicating an image recorded inside the imaging device to a portable storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an imaging device such as a digital camera in which an image taken optically is recorded electronically has become popular. In general, in an electronic imaging device such as a digital camera, imaging data is recorded according to a file system format such as FAT (File Allocation Tables) which is usable by major OS (Operating Systems) of a PC/AT-compatible machine. As a result, it is possible to access the imaging data without using an intermediate application in other equipment such as a computer. In addition, in such an electronic imaging device, information on imaging date and time can be stored electronically, and various proposals have been put forward regarding means of utilization of the information. For example, data management of search and sort, evidence in an electronic official document, and judgment of time in an evidence image of an event or an accident, etc. are cited. Recorded information in a format regulated by an application such as Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format) can be used as imaging date and time of an image, instead of timing information generated in the above-mentioned file system format.
When the image data stored in a storage medium inside the electronic imaging device or a portable storage medium which is attachable to the electronic imaging device is transferred to HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like of a computer which is the host device, generally, the timing information generated in the file system format is rewritten by the date and time of transfer.
Moreover, when replicating data from a storage medium inside a hyperopia imaging device to a portable storage medium, generally, date and time information is rewritten by date and time when performing the replication. Therefore, after the image data is replicated even once, information on the imaging date and time can be obtained only from information at the application level. To solve such a problem, in JP 2000-207262 A, a method that rewrites timing information provided by a file system format based on information at the application level when image data is transferred from an electronic imaging device to a host device, is proposed.
However, the method described in JP 2000-207262 A needs a function closer to a system base including basic software such as OS. In addition, a corresponding application is necessary to refer to the information at the application level. Therefore, it is unsuitable for general-purpose use. On the other hand, in recent years, a mode that carries out an administration while still storing image data in a portable storage medium such as an SD card (registered trademark) has increased too, and it is not necessary to execute the image data replication from the electronic imaging device to the host device.
Furthermore, when image data transfer is conducted among users by a portable storage medium, if it is a user who generated (imaged) the image data, the possibility of having a special application is high, and it is possible to know the imaging date and time referring to information at the application level. If it is a user who received the portable storage medium, the possibility that there is no special application and that information at the application level can not be referred to is high, and the imaging date and time of the image received can not be known.
Therefore, when replicating the data from the storage medium inside the electronic imaging device to the portable storage medium, if the timing information provided by the file system format is rewritten, the problem can not be solved by the method described in JP 2000-207262 A. Similarly, in an imaging device which is capable of being inserted with a plurality of portable storage media, a similar problem arises when the data is replicated from one portable storage medium to another portable storage medium.